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JHL and I went to see Eastwood’s new movie and both of us thought that it was superb. Tall, lean and craggily handsome, Eastwood has aged well. He was born in San Francisco on May 31, 1930. Some of you reading this might remember him as the young cowpoke Rawdy Yates in “Rawhide”, the TV Series. It was Italian director Sergio Leone and his “spaghetti westerns” in the sixties that put Clint Eastwood on the map. Actor, director, producer, he has come a long way since then and rightfully earned his niche in the annals of American films. Eastwood won the Best Director award (Oscar) in 1992 for “Unforgiven”. “Mystic River” (2003) earned nominations for Best Picture as well as Best Director. Would he win another ? He deserves it. Million Dollar Baby Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank Maggie Fitzgerald: Hilary Swank Frankie Dunn: Clint Eastwood Eddie “Scrap-Iron” Dupris: Morgan Freeman Director: Clint Eastwood Cinematographer: Tom Stern Production Designer: Henry Bumstead Screenplay: Paul Haggis, F.X. O'Toole A movie about a female boxer, yes, but that is only a part of it. It is about forces that drive one to take on tasks that seem formidable; dysfunctional families; and about the agonies of a father because of something that went wrong in the past. Cannot think of anyone who could have performed better than Hilary Swank as Maggie. Great acting. Morgan Freeman’s role as “Scrap” fully complimented Eastwood, and his deep voice was perfect for the background narration. The hard, gritty look of the boxing club was brought to life by Tom Stern and Henry Bumstead. One could almost smell the sweat---and the piss (from the dingy john in the back). Even the wardrobe looked as if picked from discount bin of a Goodwill store. The screenplay, taut and without frills. Not all viewers would like the decision made by Maggie and Frankie at the end. Eastwood did it right. Anything else would have trivialized it. Foggy Saturday morning. I am listening to the late pianist Thelonious Monk play "(I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance With You". It is the 1957 recording produced by Orrin Keepnews,Riverside Records.

Old Testament : "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." ---Attribution: Isaiah ii. 4; Micah iv. 3 Hear any leaders, religious or political, talk about this ? Fat chance. According to Maps of the World, we are No.2 in the world in weapons exports; Russia is ahead of us. It is the most profitable business sector and responsible for pouring huge sums of money into campaign chests of political candidates.(Source:Federation of American Scientists) http://www.fas.org/main/home.jsp There is a $40,000,000 (Forty million) celebration going on in Washington, DC.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/ A woman in Baghdad (reported to be a computer science student in her mid-twenties) has been blogging under the name "riverbend" since the early days of the war. Her latest posting (dated January 15th) describes the situation two weeks before the elections being forced upon the people of the war-ravaged country. If you have interest in what is happening there, take a few minutes to visit her blog.

“Moth Smoke” by Mohsin Hamid “Kartography” by Kamila Shamsie Pastor Martin Niemöller It was Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid's “Moth Smoke” (2001) in which I first came across the term “Fundos“ for radical Muslim groups in Pakistan. Succint; it has a bite to it. Educated, young Pakistanis used it in a derogatory fashion. The locale is Lahore, and the novel is about a young man, Daru Shezad, as he spirals down from being a banker to prison, caught between addiction to hash, his love for his friend's wife, and his dwindling finances. Everpresent, the political situation and pervasive shadow of the Mullahs. The author was living in the United States when it was published. I am not aware whether the book caused an outcry in Pakistan. Four years later the "Fundos" are still very much in evidence in Pakistan as well as other Islamic nations. In India, radical Hindu groups are far from being a spent force. Despite failure of government authorities in some parts of the country to protect Muslims during communal riots, India’s Constitution is an example of secularism at its best. It is not in imminent danger. Bangladesh, on the east, is another country where the Mullahs hold sway. Western Europe has so far remained largely above the mess. As the demographics change it might not be able to stay inviolate. Signs of trouble have surfaced there and in the United Kingdom. Here, in America, Christian Fundamentalists have gained political muscle. The framers of our Constitution created a magnificent charter. Organized efforts are currently underway to destroy the barrier between Church and State. Regardless of the religion they follow, the Fundamentalists have common traits. Intolerance for others and in the infallibility of the scriptures. Footnote: Jan 17,2005 An inquiry commission appointed by the Indian Government has declared that the infamous train fire at Godhra, Gujarat, in which 59 Hindu passengers died in 2002, was accidental, not set by Muslims. There were reports of Muslims fire bombing the train, and that caused a deadly wave of communal violence. More than a thousand Muslims were killed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4180885.stm “Kartography” (2002) by Kamila Shamsie Another book by an author who hailed from Pakistan. It, too, has a political background----one cannot write about modern Pakistan without touching on politics---the lawlessness and much more. The city is Karachi. Kamila Shamsie masterfully spun a story about a nation that split in two after a bloody civil war and a family secret that loomed over two young lovers. Eloquent, evocative, Ms. Shamsie’s book (not her first) is extraordinary and deserves much more attention than it has received. A great novel. “First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist, so I said nothing. Then they came for the Social Democrats, but I was not a Social Democrat, so I did nothing. Then came the trade unionists, but I was not a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew, so I did little. Then when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up for me.“ ----Pastor Martin Niemöller There are different variations but my research about Pastor Niemöller lead me to this as the original one. Also, some sources mistakenly attribute the quotation to the prominent Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was hanged by the Nazis in 1945. Martin Niemöller was a Protestant pastor. He survived Hitler‘s concentration camps and was released by Allied Forces at the end of WW II.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Chinese proverb (Lao-tzu) I am one of those who find pleasure in trudging through the woods. I have worn out quite a few pairs of boots walking on trails in my beloved California and in Southern France, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Last Wednesday JHL and I did the Los Trancos loop (7.5 miles) in Foothills Park. Noted warning about mountain lion sightings as we entered the park but that did not deter us.It was a great experience. The trail was in surprisingly good condition considering the recent rains; just a few muddy patches. Everything looked a lush green and the sound of running water in Buckeye Creek added to our pleasure. In the distance, the bay looked sparkling and East Bay cities clearly visible. We stopped for a picnic about halfway through the loop and then hiked back. AC and I walked at Saratoga Gap on Friday (the 14th) and found the trail unusually dry. We went all the way to Travertine Spring (Skyline to the Sea Trail). That is one area where patches of reed grass are found in abundance. This trail is not used by too many hikers, especially during winter. In the past we had found chanterelles but did not come across a single one during the walk. A few photographs. On GR-4 heading for Point Sublime,Provence, France Old foot bridge near Kipi, Greece Much needed stop at Burnsall, Yorkshire,UK Going up Mount Shasta, California "The wide world is all about you; you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out." ----J.R.R. Tolkien Comments musafir — 2005-01-15 We, bloggers, write for different reasons. As you mentioned in one of your posts, there are times when one feels driven. The rewards are the occasional bouquets like this. They mean a lot.

"Hypocrisy: The feigning of beliefs, feelings or virtues that one does hold or possess" The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. The hearings for Alberto Gonzales are proceeding as expected. Despite putting his stamp of approval on methods of interrogating (torturing) prisoners in total disregard of Geneva Convention he would soon be confirmed as the next Attorney General, replacing John Ashcroft, a Neanderthal who stood out among a crowd of them. Should we expect to see policies not driven by political expediency ? Don’t bet on it. On a lighter vein, I wonder what would Mr. Gonzales do about the curtains covering the statue , Spirit of Justice (also called Minnie Lou), in the Great Hall of the Department of Justice. The statue had been there for more than 70 years before its one exposed boob offended the sensitive Attorney General Ashcroft. Before the draping of Minnie Lou Don’t see him getting involved. Not now when the Supreme Court has the displaying of Ten Commandments issue on its docket. Removing the curtains (which cost $8,000) would displease his boss . The President would not want to upset the self-appointed guardians of morality who are outraged by display of boobs whether they are on the statue of Venus de Milo or the Spirit of Justice.…… publicly, that is. In private ? That is a different matter. Hypocritical politicians, we have them by the bushelful. "City of Ghosts" It is the title of an article in The Guardian, UK, 1/11/05, about the assault on Falluja in November. Follow this link to access the complete report and inter-active video footage by Ali Fadhil. http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1387316,00.html The Horrors of War Picasso's Guernica

“In a way winter is the real spring, the time when the inner things happen, the resurge of nature.” ----Edna O'Brien “Spring too, very soon ! They are setting the scene for it--plum tree and moon” (Haru mo ya keshiki totonou tsuki ume) ----Basho (1643-1694), translated by Harold Henderson An Irish author now living in Britain and a haiku written by a Japanese man a few centuries ago; not too far apart in thoughts. A lot of rain the past week and, if the weather man is right, we have not seen the end of it. There is snow on the foothills. Water levels in the reservoirs are above normal, as is the snowpack in the Sierra. Good news for skiers. They can think of shushing downhill until May. Spring is ten weeks away, yet there are signs of its advent. Shoots are forming on the bare branches of ginko trees on my street; the California Poppies in my yard are beginning to re-emerge. Last week I planted sweet peas. In another week or so they will begin to sprout and I’ll have to protect them from snails. And then will come time for the trellis for them to climb. The oxalis are spreading. It is a losing battle to try to keep them in control. A view of my front yard (Spring 2004) It has a somewhat wild look. I have neither the desire, nor the skill to create a dressed up, manicured garden. Saturday, January 8th. A great day---one good thing after another. AC and I went for a long walk in the rain, not heavy rain but it drizzled intermittently. The trails at Rancho San Antonio were muddy and full of puddles. There were quite a few runners out there braving the elements like us. The Bay Laurels smelled good; the air felt clean. Came home pleasantly tired, with muddy boots and soaked pants (Goretex rain gear kept our upper bodies dry). A stranger called and introduced himself as Paul Henri, an 82-year old Hungarian living in the U.S. for 45 years. Said he was going through a file of old clippings and found a letter that I wrote to the local paper in April 2003. He decided to look up my number and talk to me ! We talked about Iraq and domestic policies of the Bush administration. A kindred soul. Then came e-mail from a blogger in Austin,TX, who commented about my post dated December 29th on Johann Sebastian Bach. Her blog contains interesting photographs and observations. http://www.hruskova.blogspot.com Another "smart bomb" went awry The Washington Post reported that a satellite-guided bomb hit an unintended target and killed some Iraqis in Aaytha on January 8th. Five, according to a military spokesman; 14 according to Iraqi witnesses. Does anyone care ? Just part of the cost of the grand plan to establish freedom for Iraqis. A few more dead Iraqis are far from the minds of the policy makers in Washington. They have more important things to think about---what to wear to the inaugural parties. With a cost of $40 million there is going to be a lot of extravagant bashes.

Heaven, hell, and other more mundane mattersLike most people who like to read, I select books (fiction and non-fiction) that I think I would enjoy or learn from. The best sellers’ lists are helpful but I rarely use them as guide, especially for fiction.I have not read “Glorious Appearing”, or any of the “Left Behind” series of books co-authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. I gather that the books are about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and paint a gory scenario about the day when all but Born-again Christians would disappear into a chasm or their bodies torn asunder and they would die painful deaths. After that the Born-Again Christians would ascend to heaven.Nicholas D. Kristof, the NewYork Times, columnist wrote about this on July 17, 2004. Subsequently,he challenged the authors that if the outlined events happen in the next 10 years he would donate $500.00 to an organization favored by the authors provided that they agree to donate the same amount to a charity of his choice if the events did not take place. His offer was not accepted. (A thought: Easy for Mr. Kristoff to make the offer-----wouldn't he be one of those in the chasm or lying dead with ripped up body ?)I am not likely to be around but it would be interesting to hear the explanations when the promised day comes and passes just like any other. In the meantime, I am going to pour myself a glass of red and look out of the window at people as they go through the day.....this day.Going back into history one finds instances of persecution of “heretics”, the most notable being the killing of Jews, Protestants and other non-believers by the Spanish Inquisition. The Inquisition began in 1478. Its official end was said to be 1834. More than 300,000 people (mostly Jews) were burned to death. The trials were held by the Catholic Church but executions took place under Spanish sovereigns. And so it goes. "The Spanish Inquisition" by Cecil Roth is a well-researched, informative book on this subject."The Jane Austen Book Club" by Karen Joy FowlerDelightful. I think that women readers would enjoy it more than men."Lust" by Elfriede JelinekGave up after struggling through half of the book. It was like reading a clinical report. Perhaps it was the translation. Hope that Jelinek's “The Piano Teacher” would be better. I am still on the waiting list.It is a wet, blustery morning. The forecast for next few days shows more of the same.AC and I went foraging for chanterelles yesterday afternoon and struck gold. Our timing was right. We collected more than 5 lbs (2.27 kgs). I am going to make risotto.A few photographs:Village in West Bengal,India On Dales Way, Yorkshire, UK Athabasca Falls, Alberta,Canada "Some keep the Sabbath going to Church,I keep it staying at Home -With a bobolink for a Chorister,And an Orchard, for a Dome."----Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

"How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?"Dr.Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury The Observer (London) reported that Dr. Williams voiced this question in a statement on January 2, 2005. Probably many devouts are struggling with the issue but feel diffident about speaking out aloud. Dr. Williams' eminent position allowed him to do so. On the flip side, there is Koenig's International News, an organ of "Christian News". The masthead on the web site shows images of President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon. Two champions of God and justice. Jose Antonio Vargas in an article in The Washington Post on on 12/31/04, mentioned that Mr. Koenig wrote about "miraculous survival" by Christians. Mr. Koenig was not the only one to think about the tsunami being God's retribution. Shlomo Amar, Israel's Sephardi chief rabbi, mentioned "God's great ire with the world",and some Hindu organizations in India associated the tsunami with arrest (on charge of murder) of a popular Hindu leader! IslamonLine.net also raised enquiries along the same lines. Talk about strange bedfellows. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1382249,00.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37677-2004Dec30.html http://watch.org/ http://islamoneline.net/english/index.shtml According to reports in the BBC, more than 3,000 European tourists died while vacationing in the affected areas. I suppose they were considered "collateral damage" by Mr. Koenig's God or they were not true believers and thus did not qualify for miraculous protection. How could they....their nations have high taxation and cradle to grave health care. Socialists ! "In our country are evangelists and zealots of many different political, economic and religious persuasions whose fanatical conviction is that all thought is divinely classified into two kinds-that which is their own and that which is false and dangerous." --- Robert H. Jackson (1892-1954) The Summer of '42 In my post dated December 6, 2004, I listed a few books that I thought were great "coming of age" stories. I had missed one that certainly belonged to that group. Herman Raucher's poignant "Summer of '42". For all book lovers, those who are young as well as those who were young once.

The end of one year, the beginning of another Dirty words that I have come across often in 2004: Collateral damage Friendly fire Suicide bomber And what about "smart bombs" ? Smart bombs! Just think of the people who come up with these terms. Let us hope that there is an end to them. A few photographs taken by me during travels far and near. Chapelle St. Jean between Castellane and La Palud, Provence, France Pajaro Dunes, California Berry Creek Falls, Big Basin State Park, California To all visitors to my musings---the regulars, occasional, and the accidental: Stay well.